Fourth opportunities
by Mephistofeles
Summary: Loki knew that Thanos finished with him, but then this girl appeared who says that it was not like that. Is it possible? Can he really be alive thanks to his seidir? And more importantly, will he be able to return in time to help Thor? Minor IW spoiler.


**The other day after seeing Infinity war, I asked myself why did Jotum Loki ever appear again? Then I remembered how the corpse of Loki before the explosion was an Aesir Loki. How was that possible? Without Odin or Loki himself to maintain the glamor, he should have vanished, but he did not. Did the director do it on purpose or did he just run away? Do not get me wrong, I'm not in denial, it just seemed a reasonable doubt. What do you think?**  
 **4567890'0987654321234567890'¿'0987654321**

 **You will never be a god**

The only thing that was there was darkness. Vague memories far away. A fight. A threatening figure. A noise coming from inside, something was broken. That earned him an ironic smile. Years, even centuries, were necessary to break him and lead to madness, and yet a few seconds were enough to actually break him, then finally to be on track to reach an agreement with himself. He shook those intrusive thoughts. He needed to know what was happening. Where was he? Where was Thor? ... Thor! Thanos! Damn it! That madness titan had found him after all and he gave him the tesseract. He attacked his ship with the only Asgard in it. He attacked his brother and killed him later. The Midgardians say that "the third is the good one" and maybe they are right, but of all his deaths this came at the worst possible time. He needed to return. Thor needed him and this time he wouldn't disappoint him. This was his battle, this was his fault and he wouldn't let Thor pay the price. The idiot could be many things, but after all the ... pranks he has done, the idiot still thought it was worth giving him another chance even if he didn't deserve it. The darkness changed. At one moment he felt weightless, surrounded by darkness and a deafening silence that he would not like to experience again, only brought back bad memories. Bad and dark memories that fuel his decision to help his brother finish Thanos. Then the light illuminated his world, leaving temporarily blind. When his eyes adjusted to the sudden light, he observed his surroundings. A strange place. Gray skies covered a city full of energy, but at the same time devoid of it. There were people around him wandering aimlessly and another small group trying to trespass what seemed to be the entrance to a majestic building, but they are an air of mystery and death that surrounded those be the doors to Helheim? He was dead after all and his life had not been the best example of honor and justice, maybe everything was added and he gave a direct ticket to the Helheim painfully close, but not enough. The best punishment for the ambitious. The temptation of what they may never have, right in front of their noses ... Although maybe it was not so bad. If Hella returned to her kingdom after her encounter with Surtur, it would not be a good idea to approach that building. He did not want to see how he rewarded him for his little trick to cause Ragnarok ... Although maybe and only maybe, his beloved sister, adoptive or not, could help him. If the stories were true Thanos had courted death, who by chance happened to be an Odinsson and consequently, his relative. Yes, appealing to their kinship was useless. Even more useless after hearing his opinion about him sounding like Odin. He snorted angrily at the memory. He had to bite his tongue to not respond to the comment. He did not sound like a one-eyed old man who had just died, thank you very much ... He had to concentrate. Focus. Better. So if the stories were true there was a remote possibility of appealing to the vengeful side of the girl, and help them to finish with the titan. It would be a quick thing and then I could torture him again as I wanted ... A chill ran down his back between that thought. Why was he doing it? Thor, of course! He had to do it for Thor, his brother, and to feel that his absurd faith in him, at least was in some deserved degree. A strong explosion from the building took him out of his thoughts. Then an angry scream echoed all over the place. I knew that voice. His sister was not happy. I had to make a plan. I needed to go through those doors, find Hella, convince her not to make it mincemeat, then convince her to help him and then find a way to escape from this place and prevent him from making mincemeat later. If only he could change shape, he could pass for a Valkyrie at least and go to Valhalla to see his mother once more.

With the plan in mind, he sighed to gather enough courage. He infiltrated the mass of people entrenched in front of the door and saw guards blocking the way. The entrance itself was a fence that could easily cross with the shape of an insect, but needed a distraction. With a small mischievous smile he approached some people and spoke to them with false hope adorning his words "Is it true?" the man to his right looked at him bored "Is that true what boy?"

Loki bit his lip to look shy and avoid letting his smile show "What the guards were saying, that the first person to get through the gate would gain a place in the Helheim" the man looked at him surprised and the people they were silent around him. In a few moments everyone was madly trying to get to the other side. The guards prepared to attack and prevented desperate people from crossing the fence. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he thought about becoming a mouse, but his attempts only brought unexpected pain in his chest. Something was wrong. I did not know what the rules of this place were, but definitely this pain was not natural. Ray! If I could not change form, I could not enter and I needed to do it, fast. He tried one more time, but the pain only got worse. It was almost more painful than those chains that made the dark elves when they were taken prisoner by him and Frandal during one of his adventures with Thor, the Three Warriors and Lady Sif. He moved a little away from the crowd to hold on to the wall at his side. This was not working. While trying to recover he noticed a figure in the courtyard, inside. Curious eyes watched him intently. Red eyes, but not like Jotnar, but red irises. Eyes of such an abnormal color, like the ones I had seen in Heimdal, and that glowed almost like fire. The figure, hidden behind a hood, seemed to hesitate, but after a moment approached, passing unnoticed by the guards.

It was a girl, from what I could see. Now more closely than before. A girl who did not stop looking at him, as if studying him. Loki was angry because his plan was not working and this girl, on the other side of the fence, only irritated him more with that look. Trying to disguise her pain, she gave him a charming smile. "Good morning, beautiful maid. Enjoying the view? "Under the hood he could see a slight blush." Do not be so delighted with _Aesir_ . See that costumes like those, only attract tricksters and fake ones "Loki frowned. Something in the tone with which Aesir said, he did not like it. It was almost a mockery, as if he knew what lies beneath the glamor. "Costume? I do not know what you mean. The only person who hides here is you. The question is why?"

The girl looked at him again. This time taking a hand through the bars. "My choice of costumes is not your concern. I only approached by mere curiosity "

Loki already more focused without the pain of his chest tilted his head "Curiosity for the lives of the renegades. If so, I could change my place with you so you can enjoy it better "

The girl shook her head and put her hand on the back of Loki. Loki jumped away in response, but the girl's gasp stopped him from fleeing in the act "I knew it! I knew it!"

This was a new level of rarity. Carefully Loki checked if someone would take this crazy girl from here, but apparently these souls in pain were more persistent than they gave credit before. He looked at the surprised girl "If it's not annoying. What did you know? "

The girl, now excited, looked at him seriously. "First of all, I need to know what you were trying to accomplish by entering here?"

Smiling he replied "Arrive at Helheim. That is not a secret. Everyone at this door tries it "

The girl growled "They do it, but they have a good time in this place. You have just arrived "

He shrugs "It's never too soon"

The girl reached out and took a handful of his shirt to bring him closer. "I have no patience for games now. If you tell me exactly what you tried a minute ago, I'll help you get in. "

Loki thought for a moment. I had nothing to lose. "I tried to enter, but when I tried to change shape ... the bars, my chest hurt"

The girl released him surprised "You're a Seidir teacher" It was not a question. The girl looked at the sky and then at Loki. "That's why it hurt you. That means you can help me ... Listen, I'll help you get in if you help me out. Treatment?"

Loki squinted "Why did it hurt?"

The girl glanced nervously at the guards, who seemed at last to notice her presence, and spoke quickly "When the sky turns dark and you see the guards fall asleep you will come and we'll talk okay?"

Loki shook his head "I will not do anything if you do not explain it to me"

The girl began to move away "Come and I'll explain." With that he left.

Loki did not know what to think about the girl, but when the time to meet came, he approached the gate one more time. You need to gather information to plan a better route of entry. He did not know how much time he had left, but Thor needed it and he was not interested in seeing it in these lands so soon and much less than Thanos.

True to her word the girl appeared. Bringing a package with you. "Listen, before anything, we have little time before they wake up"

Loki nodded "Well, then tell me what you know"

The girl handed her the package and climbed the grate why did not she think that before? "Do not even think about it. Going out is easy, but entering if you do not have to, it will only bring you indescribable pain "He took the package and directed Loki to the left, surrounding the wall" I know you want answers, but we are short on time so I'll ask you first Do you want to enter or return to the kingdom from which you came? "

Loki did not think before answering "Back"

The girl smiled "Perfect! Then I will help you to do it, but you must take me with you "

Loki laughed. "You're so naive. Only Hella decides who returns to the world of the living "

"I'm aware of that, but you can not go back to a place that I've never been. Look, I'm stuck in this place, or good I was until Hella stopped being. The problem is that I can only get out of here with the help of a Seidir teacher who can break my curse. I have the paper with the written curse and all, but it can not be read in this place "

"I understand, but still. I am already dead, and therefore my return depends on Hella "

The girl stepped on the ground frustrated "Do not you understand? You are not dead "

"What? you are the one who does not understand. I'm dead. Thanos broke my neck. This time I'm really dead "

"You are not dead. Does not it seem strange to you to keep your Aesir glamor? I do not know what your true form is, but if you were dead you should be in your true form, after all you are the one who maintains the glamor about yourself. At this moment, wherever your body is, it is being kept alive thanks to your seidir, but that will not last much longer. If you let me help you I can take you back to your physical body "

Loki was surprised, could this girl be right? His logic was correct, it should be a Jotum now, but it was not. "If I'm alive, why can not I use my seidir?"

The girl rolled her eyes "Because all your energy is focused on keeping you alive and a small part in preserving your disguise, it must be important for you"

"It is ... Are you sure you can take me back?"

"100% since I have memory I have prepared for this"

"And you're just asking me to break your curse?"

"Just that and you're free not to have to face Hella and her wrath for the princes of Asgard that will fall on the whole kingdom"

Loki processed it. He was not dead. And this unknown girl offered to return. I could help Thor. Not everything was lost. I only expected to arrive on time, I did not know how much time I had lost in this place, but I could not lose more. Offering his hand spoke more determined than ever "It's a deal. You come back and I will help you "

The girl took his hand and threw it in a hug "Thanks! I'm so happy that I'll even help you with that deranged Thanos. I have listened for years to Hella to say her faults "

Loki smiled, really smiled. Maybe that optimism that Thanos blamed was not unfounded.

 **We will live to see another day**


End file.
